


From The Outside Looking In

by zinny



Series: Heart of Iron [9]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, F/M, Jealousy, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Canon Compliant, POV Wanda Maximoff, Some Plot, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 21:52:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14198442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinny/pseuds/zinny
Summary: While Wanda has never truly understood the concept, she finds herself coming to terms with her own emotions. Did she ask to fall in love? Of course not. That doesn't change the fact that she is in love. Truly, desperately and wholeheartedly in love.





	From The Outside Looking In

**Author's Note:**

> this was really difficult for me to write. i’m not a wanda fan so writing from her point of view was odd. anyway, i never thought i’d write for this pair but here i am ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ like it or not, the pairing is interesting so you might see more some day.

Love.

It was an emotion that caused a turmoil within Wanda's very self-being. It was beautiful—to feel as though you are floating; your skin warm and your heart fluttering rapidly in your chest. Yet, it also causes you so much pain all the same. Your heart constricts and your lungs give out and you can't breathe. You can't breathe and you feel as though you're dying and Wanda can't help but think if given chance, it would be worth it.

While Wanda has never truly understood the concept, she finds herself coming to terms with her own emotions. Did she ask to fall in love? Of course not. That doesn't change the fact that she is in love. Truly, desperately and wholeheartedly in love.

Watching from afar, Wanda glances at him. He's with her. She's radiant in every way, Wanda can acknowledge that. Nonetheless, the one who truly shines is _him_. He's translucent and glows like a technicolor sunset in shades of red and gold. He's smiling; wide, honest and kind. Days like these, she can't help but yearn for the smile to be directed at her.

"You should talk to him," Pietro says from behind her.

Wanda turns away from the scene and faces her brother. "What?" Her face is carefully blank as she slips her hands into her pockets.

Pietro raises an eyebrow. "Tell Stark how you feel."

"It'd be a waste of time." Wanda flickers her gaze to the floor, watching as her boots scruff on the concrete. "Wouldn't make a difference anyway."

"You'll never know if you don't say anything." He responds before changing the subject completely.

She caught herself glancing back at Tony Stark. Even from afar, Wanda could read his lips. The way he said the "I love you" to Pepper with ease and how she responds with a timid smile. The sight causes her stomach to clench, Wanda forces herself to look away.

✵彡 ✵彡 ✵彡

They were having brunch one morning. It was a bit late in the afternoon, Wanda was seated between Clint and Steve. Natasha was across from her and next to her was Sam. The room was boisterous and everyone was in a pleasant mood. Wanda quietly twirled her spoon between her fingers, her oatmeal growing cold as the minutes passed but she didn't seem to notice. Her attention was on the empty chair at the end of the table.

Before she could unostentatiously sulk, even more, Tony was stepping into the room. There were dark rings underneath his bright brown eyes and his hair was a mess but his smile was wide and he seemed genuinely happy. Beside him, Bruce was identical. Both men were happily talking amongst each other, oblivious to everyone around them.

As they stepped further into the room, Wanda's heart thumped loudly in her chest. She felt her palms grow damp and her cheeks flush. It was ridiculous. Truly, one would think that the "teenage girl crush" phase would be over once you reached adulthood. Yet, here she is growing more and more maladroit in his presence.

"Tony, have you slept at all?" Steve addressed from her left. Wanda felt herself stiffen at his tone. This was his _'Captain America Is Disappointed In You'_ voice which means an argument is about to occur.

Bruce paused, his eyebrows furrowed as if he just noticed there were other people in the room. Tony, on the other hand, turned to where they were seated. His gaze flickered over each and every one of them, Wanda blushed deeply under his stare before he was redirecting his focus to Steve.

"No, I haven't." He responds coolly. "Is there a problem?"

From her peripheral vision, Wanda notices Steve's jaw clench. She briefly closed her eyes, acknowledging that a dispute was about to commence.

"Of course, there is a problem." Steve starts. In the background, both Natasha and Bruce sigh, Clint rolls his eyes and Sam grabs his plate and flees the room to avoid getting caught up in the upcoming shit storm.

"How so?" Tony rests his hip against the kitchen island, arms crossed and eyebrow arched. "Enlighten me, Cap."

"We're always on-call. We never know if we'll be needed and you not getting proper rest is the opposite of what you should be doing. What if we get called out for a mission and you're too sleep deprived? Whatever happens to one, affects us all."

Tony paused for a second, his expression growing cold before he frowns. "Are you saying I'm holding the team back?"

Steve stills before his shaking his head. "That's not what I said-"

"No, of course not." Tony cuts in. "It's what you're implying."

There was a brief pause. The room was quiet, everyone shifting their gazes back and forth between Tony and Steve.

"Fine, I'll go get some sleep. Don't want to _hold back_ my fucking team." Tony spits out and leaves the room.

Bruce observes as Tony exits the room before he pinches the bridge of his nose and goes after him. Natasha glances at them as Bruce leaves after his friend before turning back to Steve, leveling him with a judging glance. Clint remained indifferent; when it comes to Steve and Tony drama, it's always smart to stay neutral.

The room was silent for a few moments before Wanda decided to speak up. "You didn't have to do that." She says, placing her spoon down with a swift movement.

Steve furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Do what?"

Wanda exhaled. "Make him feel bad. He seemed happy, he was smiling." She paused, looking down at her forgotten breakfast with a small frown. "He's an adult. He doesn't need you to pester him, Steve. You don't get mad when Pietro picks up civilians and brings them home for the night or when Thor overshares online. Those are things that could hold us back, hell, it could ruin us but you don't say anything. His lack of sleep is his choice. Perhaps not healthy but if anyone has any right to say anything about his _own_ body, it's him."

With that, Wanda stands and grabs her bowl. She flickers her gaze of the three. Steve has a pained look on his face before he looks back down to his own breakfast with a shrewd expression. On the other hand, both Natasha and Clint are giving her calculating miens. She's pretty sure they know exactly whats going on in her mind. Feeling overwhelmed by their expressions, Wanda takes her leave and finishes her breakfast in her room.

As she entered the elevator and watched as JARVIS took her directly to her floor; an idea formed. Wanda briefly considered asking JARVIS about Tony. Did he eat? Will he eat? Can he get him to eat? But as soon as the thoughts whirled in her head, she quickly pushed them to the back of her mind. It would be odd to ask JARVIS about his creator. It would be unusual to ask about Tony to _anyone_ in the tower. The last thing she wants is Clint and Natasha giving her _looks_. No. Instead, Wanda sighed and sagged against the compartment wall; her mind elsewhere.

✵彡 ✵彡 ✵彡

Tony Stark is a ridiculous self-sacrificing martyr and Wanda is unclear if she wants to punch the man or hold him near in hopes he'll stop getting injured.

Today's mission didn't go as planned. The random villain of the day—Wanda stopped attempting to remember their names—was causing a ruckus in Time Square. It was the usual crashing into buildings and destroying property ordeal. It wasn't meant to be a big deal, but as always things don't go according to plan.

As they were about to finish up, the villain had one more trick up his sleeve. They managed to place a detonation within one of the buildings nearby, causing the building to collapse. Some civilians near the structure were in danger of the building falling on them. But before that could happen, Tony dives in and rescues them. He's able to push them out of the way in time but the building ends up collapsing on him instead. Wanda swears her heart stopped beating at the sight of his body underneath all the rubble.

That is how she found herself in his room at the SHIELD medical center. Visitors were not authorized but Wanda managed to sneak in when no one was looking. Tony was still resting, his thick dark lashes brushed against his pale cheeks with every breath he took in; the sight made her cheeks turn a soft red hue for some reason. With a shake of her head, Wanda set a thin glass vase of daisies near his bed. Next to the vase was a small note with the words "feel better" written in red ink.

Feeling timid, Wanda left the room silently, not perceiving that Tony's eyes were momentarily open and observing her as she shut the door gently after her.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Bonds And Energies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14201919) by [FlowerFly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlowerFly/pseuds/FlowerFly)




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